D.N.Angel

The Niwa family has a tradition that the male child in every generation will transform into the infamous thief Dark. Upon reaching the age of 14, Niwa Daisuke transforms into Dark and is forced to take charge of a tradition of stealing away pieces of art. Balancing a life of thievery and a normal life isn’t easy; and it doesn’t help that the person Daisuke likes the most is in not in love with him, but with Dark, his alter ego.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I first saw this series, especially with the “artifact-of-the week” theme it had in the beginning, but I’m glad I stuck through it. Even though this anime’s main characters are rather young, surprisingly enough, the romantic drama between Risa, Riku, and Daisuke proved to be one of the anime’s strongest points.

Don’t let the cute character designs mislead you, because these characters will pull and tug at your heart and force you to experience the same emotions that they go through. As a result, this was one of the best romances that I’d seen in a while and one that left me satisfied in the end. This drama was only reinforced by seiyuu that made the characters believable; bringing out the best in them. My only complaint would be that Daisuke’s voice was too young and high for the serious scenes, but I also realize Daisuke was only fourteen years old.

As for the art, it’s like what one would expect from an anime in the year 2003. However, D.N.Angel incorporates CG that doesn’t blend too well in some scenes. Colors on objects are different than when ordinarily drawn which proves quite bothersome and irritating after several episodes. Otherwise, the animation is constantly smooth and crisp. The music always enhances the mood and never feels out of place, complementing the atmosphere nicely.

This anime did have its setbacks though. It had a slow approach in the beginning that might turn off some viewers. Where the romance succeeded so well, the same couldn’t be said for the plot. When background information between two main characters is finally given at the 25th episode, something is clearly wrong. Why the two main protagonists hated each other was never explained really well, and the two major events at the end seemed to be compacted together producing a rushed feel. Had the plot’s pacing been better executed, this anime could have been a real gem to anyone’s collection.

The slow pacing in the beginning, a lack of focus to the plot, and some slight seiyuu issues doesn’t deter the viewer from enjoying the core of the series, which is the romance. As an action series it doesn’t really excel, and I wouldn’t recommend this to an action fan. However, if you’re looking for a solid romance, look no further than D.N.Angel.